I do not believe that people would root around in my trash looking for credit or financial information or for documents containing my SSN. (10 points)

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I do not verify that all financial (credit card, debit card, checking) statements are accurate monthly. (10 points)

Each one of these questions represents a possible avenue for an identity thief.

Understanding Your Score:

100 + points - Recent surveys* indicate that 8-9 million people are victims of ID theft each year. You are at high risk. We recommend you purchase a cross-cut paper shredder, become more security-aware in document handling, and start to question why people need your personal data.

50-99 points - Your odds of being victimized are about average.

0-49 points - Congratulations. You have a high "IQ." Keep up the good work and don't let your guard down now.

Remember, you cannot prevent identity theft. Criminals can commit identity theft relatively easily because of lax credit industry practices and the ease of obtaining SSNs. But you can reduce your risk of fraud by following the tips in Fact Sheet 17.

The most important advice we can give you is to check your 3 credit reports at least once a year. If you are a victim of identity theft, you will catch it early by checking your credit reports regularly. Your annual free credit reports are available from (877) 322-8228 or at www.annualcreditreport.com[2].